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PhaZZer EqualiZZer Air Carbine

PhaZZer® Electronics has aggressively entered the less-lethal market with two carefully
developed, beta-site tested devices. The PhaZZer devices are clearly superior
to the earlier attempts by other companies, and in fact are direct,
feature-by-feature competitors to the existing products.

The
Enforcer cartridges are interchangeable with the TASER® cartridges. The
EqualiZZer projectiles are interchangeable with PepperBall® projectiles. (The
Enforcer ECD was covered earlier. Go to www.hendonpub.com, Resources, Article
Archive.)

CO2 Launcher

The
PhaZZer EqualiZZer is brand-new to the less-lethal toolbox. This is a
CO2-powered launcher that fires a wide variety of .68-caliber paintball and
PepperBall cartridges. The semi-automatic carbine has an effective range of
around 120 feet (40 yards) providing a long-distance, less-lethal option.

The
PhaZZer EqualiZZer is based on the very high-end paintball launchers. In fact,
the EqualiZZer has the same feel of an AR-15, and actually has tighter
tolerances and better machining than many generic AR-15 platform rifles. The
EqualiZZer uses an open-bolt, blow back action. The bolt of the EqualiZZer must
be fully to the rear (out of battery) prior to pressurizing the system to
pulling the trigger.

The
EqualiZZer top-feed, spring-fed magazine holds 18 rounds of ball projectiles,
either Impact, Pepper or Training. The projectiles are powered by a 7-ounce or
9-ounce CO2 refillable cylinder (1800 psi) housed inside the adjustable
buttstock. The average velocity of the first 20 projectiles is around 320 fps,
while the second group of 20 projectiles average around 290 fps.

Picatinny and Weaver

The
EqualiZZer is equipped with a number of attachment rails—over the action, under
the receiver, and on three sides of the barrel. On top of the receiver (on both
sides of the breech) is a Weaver-style rail that holds either the long
PepperBall magazine or the tall Electric Dart magazine. The Picatinny adapter
under the receiver is intended to mount to the Picatinny rail on the PhaZZer
Enforcer ECD. This dual EqualiZZer–Enforcer setup gives both close-range and
long-range less-lethal options.

Around
the barrel is a three-way Picatinny rail designed for a variety of lights,
lasers, sights and vertical foregrips. Our test version had a green laser
aiming sight. The bright green laser pointer is actually needed regardless of
the projectiles being launched. The iron sights on top of the ball projectile
magazine are extremely small and the tall, dart magazine blocks traditional
fixed sights. A vertical foregrip is a part of most EqualiZZer kits. A high-lumen
white light could be easily mounted on the side opposite the laser
pointer.

We
fired nearly a hundred PepperBalls from the EqualiZZer at a variety of ranges.
Bottom line? As a .68-caliber launcher, the PhaZZer EqualiZZer is fully as accurate
and as effective as the current options. It is easy to load, easy to fire, easy
to get hits. Everything works like it is supposed to.

Electric Darts

The
CO2-fired paintball aspect of the PhaZZer EqualiZZer is conventional and
straight forward. It uses game-proven and street-proven projectiles with
well-known, police impact munition effects. On the other hand, the EqualiZZer
also fires electric impact darts. This is very definitely the micro bevel on
the cutting edge of less-lethal options. Many attempts have been made over the
past 20 years to get a launchable ECD projectile. The now-abandoned,
shotgun-fired, TASER Extended Range Electronic Projectile (XREP) is one recent
attempt. This PhaZZer development is very promising.

The
PhaZZer EqualiZZer uses a rechargeable electric dart. The electric dart is basically
a tiny capacitor, which is something that stores electrostatic energy in an electric
field. The dart is instantly charged as it exits the
vertical box magazine and enters the chamber. The dart instantly discharges as
the nose contacts the target.

At
the tip of the dart’s nose are two small needles, spaced ¼-inch apart. When
these tiny probes both contact the subject, the electric circuit is complete
and the capacitor discharges. Electronically simple. Mechanically simple. Very
functional. Very clever.

Charged in Magazine

The
electric dart is an extremely light, fin-stabilized, bullet-shaped projectile. It
is made to fit one way in the magazine—it cannot be loaded incorrectly. A
specialized magazine holds up to six darts. These electric projectiles are
charged in the magazine with a 9-volt battery. As the dart moves to the bottom
of the magazine, the tiny probes make contact with an internal set of contacts
that instantly charges the dart as it passes down the magazine.

In
the charged condition, the dart carries a voltage of about 2000 volts. The two
needle probes are just ¼-inch apart, which is basically the same point of
contact. As such, the purpose of the dart is to act like a drive-stun to this
one location, as opposed to neuromuscular incapacitation, which requires more
voltage and a larger dart spread.

The
typical ECD produces about 0.3 joules of energy. In comparison, the electric
dart produces 0.4 microjoules, a tiny fraction of the ECD energy. On the other
hand, no one stands around very long when being stung by a wasp or hornet, and
these bees don’t slam into you with the force of a paintball.

Emerging Technology

The
PhaZZer Electronics electric dart bullet is very new, developing technology.
Obviously, with ¼-inch-long needles on the front edge, there are point of
impact concerns with the electric dart. Some of this concern is eased by the
fact that the electric darts fly remarkably true.

The
range of any impact munition is not determined by impact energy, but by the
long-range accuracy. The impact munition must be accurate enough not to stray
into no-strike zones. Both the launched balls and the electric darts have the
same accuracy and the same effective range. We got torso-size groups from both at
25 yards. Bottom line? This dart is, in fact, the next step in the elusive goal
of a long-range, electrical deterrent…and all fired from a modified paintball
gun!